Synchronized Attraction
by staceleo
Summary: The war has ended, but two young swimmers and a couple of soldiers are still fighting for a chance at their own independence. Will a chance meeting bring them together in love and freedom? A one shot written for Itlnbrt for FAGE 5.


**FAGEY McFAGEINGTON THE 5th**

**Title: Synchronized Attraction**

**Written for: Itlnbrt**

**Written By: staceleo **

**Rating: M**

**Summary/Prompt used: 1940's era synchronized swimmers**

**If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the facebook group: Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox.**

**community/Fagey-McFageington-the-5th/93625/**

**AN: I was so very excited to see this creative and challenging prompt. I hope I do it justice for the talented, Itlnbrt!**

**My wonderful beta is Sunflower3759.**

**There is a guide to terms used in the 1940's at the bottom. Enjoy!**

Her arms straightened out to her sides and then she rose them up over her head. One, two, and she lowered them down into the warm water. Twist to the right and spin to the left. Deep breath and dive down, trying not to feel like drowning. Center and lift legs up in the air. Bubbles from her nose rise to the surface. Keep those legs up and straight. Now open them wide, and move them back back together. Down and rise up, then take a breath with a smile.

Isabella Swan was trying to ignore the cheering of the dough boys surrounding the pool. If she was putting herself out to be ridiculed, she wanted the cheers to be for her talent not just her gams. Bella, as her father had always liked to call his star swimmer, glanced at their strawberry blonde leader smiling broadly at the crowd. To be truthful, Bella wanted to drown her.

The finale was upon them and the team captain was hoisted into the air with a flourish of a showgirl. Last time Bella checked, this was a cheap move that didn't at all exemplify synchronized swimming; but what else was new. This was her show, and the rest were pawns in her attempt to become the next golden girl of Hollywood. In Bella's humble opinion, the woman would never be the next Esther Williams. Practice created perfection, and swimming in competitions had become Bella's life even at an early age. She knew it took work and not just a tight swimsuit unlike that ditsy dame.

Then a body shaking sneeze came out from the allergy prone, Lauren Malloy. The sneeze made Lauren tremble from where she was holding the captain's leg and that motion shook the swimmers' promiscuous leader from her perch. She landed ungracefully in the water below with a mighty splash. The women scattered as the long legged body landed with a splash almost hitting poor Alice Brandon in the face.

The servicemen roared with laughter. The metal stands where they stomped their feet made a deafening noise to Bella's ears as she swam towards the ladder. She was annoyed they were enjoying themselves at the humiliation of the women in the pool. That was until Bella stood up and observed the chaos. She pulled off her swim cap and her brown waves tumbled down her shoulders. Then she began to laugh. It was a hearty laugh that shook her body to the core, and there wasn't a bit of it that portrayed anything dainty or lady like at all. She couldn't even stop it when the very angry leader of the group stomped over and shoved Bella in the shoulder.

"You dizzy dame, you ruined everything!"

Bella threw her hands in the air. "Egads, Tammy! You want to blame me? Go talk to Lauren! Perhaps you need to look in the mirror, because if you weren't trying so hard to grandstand and do an unorthodox move it wouldn't have happened!"

"You laughed at me though!" Tammy screamed at her in front of one hundred men.

"I always laugh at you! This isn't a surprise!"

Then a deep voice interrupted the women's argument. "Tanya darling are you all right?"

"I vem alright, darlzing! Just...zust vaking vup," Tammy attempted to explain in the worst accent ever.

Bella ignored the man next to her. "Tammy, what are you messing around with? That's the worst accent ever! No one is going to believe that you are the swimming version of Marlene Dietrich in Hollywood."

"Who's Tammy?" The man asked in confusion.

Bella looked up at the officer with the shock of dark, reddish hair and expressive green eyes. He had a kind, beautiful face and he filled out his uniform nicely. Bella would have swooned if she did such a thing, or more correctly, if she didn't think the man was such a doll dizzy.

"The woman you are talking to with the worst, fake Russian accent ever. Shall I introduce you? Mister, this is Tammy Smith. Tammy Smith this is some man you have most likely had relations with. Geez, you're a dope, mister," Bella said with a laugh. She turned to head to the dressing rooms, when the man grabbed her arm. It was as if she was filled with electric shocks and his face looked surprised as well.

Tammy made angry huffs behind them.

The Soldier tried to regain his composure. "Pardon me, Miss but those are some pretty serious allegations!

"I disagree on both counts. Because, she is a liar that lies and you are a fat headwho is falling for a share cropper. It's a pretty obvious assumption."

"Tanya, are zee all zight?" Katie O'Brien asked, as she ran up. Another handsome man dressed in an Army, dress uniform appeared. He was a big man with dark curls, bulging muscles and if he was falling for the baloney coming out of the two women he was idiot like his friend.

"Are you in on this too, Katie? What is this bad accent day?" Bella remarked, as she tried to remove her arm from the man's grip. "Hey, I need my arm. It's getting pretty chilly in here and I would love to grab a towel."

"Sorry, Miss..." But he still held tight.

His brawny friend looked at everyone in confusion, "Ekaterina, my little Russian dumpling what is going on?"

Alice's tiny frame pushed past the large man, almost toppling him over. "Tammy, you almost kicked me in the head! That was a belly flop if I ever saw one!"

The large one gave Alice a big smile. "How are you doing, Tiny One. I want to put you in my pocket."

"Who are these men, Bella?"

Bella was laughing so hard at the accents, she was having trouble breathing.

"Are you all right, Miss..?." The red headed one, who was holding onto Bella's arm asked, "I didn't catch you name."

"It's none of your business, mister." Bella said, once she finally regained some composure. She linked her arm, through Alice's. "Come on, Alice! I have the best story to tell you. It's about these two clueless Service Men that fell for lousy accents and tight bathing suits..."

XXXXXX

Three hours later, Bella and Alice sat at the pub and nursed their pints, while watching Tammy and Katie with their dates. This time they were British soldiers and not the two droolies that they lied to earlier.

"They two are the biggest share croppers, I ever did see," Alice complained.

Bella smiled sadly at her friend. "Our boat back to the states leaves in less than twenty-four hours. There isn't any reason to bother with the antics of those two dizzy dames anymore. It's back to the grind for us."

Alice played with her pint glass, rolling it around her hands. "You are eighteen, Bella. You can tell Charlie no. So can I."

"Are you going to quit the team, Alice Brandon? My dad is going to go wild if we stop training. The Olympics is his dream." The brave and flippant Bella was nowhere to be seen. The mention of her domineering father made the light in her eyes dim. His dreams of reaching the Olympics with his diving expertise, ended long ago. The death of Bella's mother, in a robbery gone wrong had destroyed his competitive spirit. After that, he had ignored the call of the gold, until he saw the way that young Bella and Alice were in tuned to each other's movements. Looking at the ten year old girls swimming in the backyard pool was the catalyst to begin their training. Charles Swan was desperately trying to relive his glory days, using his daughter and her best friend.

The girls' decision to join the USO was not for pure altruistic motives, it was escape from their cage and the pain it had caused them.

"Bella, it isn't our dream though. I'm tired, and the thought that I have to return to Forks and be thrown back into training and...and..." Alice started to stammer, her eyes welling up. "I can't see him with her."

The vigorous training schedule Charles put the girls on was so demanding that they were not allowed to pursue romantic entanglements. He had blamed his love for Renee and his anguish at her death for extinguishing his potential. Charles would not allow the same fate to befall the girls. Alice's secret beau, Jasper Whitlock had decided it wasn't in his best interest to continue his relationship with her. His marriage to heiress Rosalie Hale was a blow that Alice had not yet recovered from.

"I don't know...I just thought maybe if I confronted what happened to Jacob, I would just..."

"Bella, Jacob is dead." Alice grasped her friend's hand tightly. "We need to find happiness! You are an amazing writer. I need to paint. Maybe someday, we can find love."

Bella had doubted it greatly. She had loved Jacob Black since she was thirteen. He was her first kiss and she was heartbroken that her father separated them. Bella then became devastated when she learned of his death at Pearl Harbor. Maybe her father had the right idea. Love was a distraction to greatness. But this was a greatness that Bella didn't desire.

"What do you think we should do, Alice? Just run away?" Bella asked incredulously.

A booming voice interrupted her, "Baby girls, you can run away with us!"

The large man with the bright smile they had encountered that afternoon plopped down next to Alice and wrapped his arm around her. Alice gasped. The handsome, red head sat next to Bella and pulled his chair close to her.

He smiled, his green eyes sparkling. "Hello again, Miss."

"I don't think we invited you to sit with us," Bella stated with a frown. "We don't even know you!"

"That's easy enough to fix! I am Major Emmett McCarthy and this is my friend, Major Edward Cullen." The big one, Emmett, winked at the girls. "I need your names if we are going in cahoots together."

"I'm Alice Brandon and this is Bella Swan. Where are we going together?" Alice asked excitedly, as she ogled the dark haired man who was stroking her arm.

"Alice!" Bella exclaimed. "We don't know these men! They were frolicking with Tammy and Katie, for goodness sakes!"

"Bella, I assure you that our intentions are good. You both looked upset this afternoon and we wished to be of assistance." Edward gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Not to mention, I can happily say that you two ladies saved us from being lied to, and I appreciate this greatly."

He looked pointedly to Tammy and Katie with a scowl.

Emmett banged his hand on the table. "I say tell us your tale, beautiful ladies and we'll tell you ours. I have a great feeling that meeting each other was fate, and we can be mutually beneficial to each other."

"I am surprised you know the word 'beneficial', Em," Edward said with a laugh. His hand still cradled Bella's. It felt like it belonged there.

"He jokes!" Emmett howled. "Ladies, let's drink some hooch and discuss important things like our futures!"

Three hours later the group stumbled out of the pub, full of laughs and good cheer. Emmett had the habit of making those around him happy. Little Alice looked like the weight of the world had been lifted off of her tiny shoulders. And she was officially smitten with the hulking man at her side. And Emmett knew without a shadow of a doubt that he met his other half. He swung her up and started twirling her around on the cobblestone.

"Emmett!" Alice laughed. "I'm dizzy."

He stopped, but wouldn't allow her back on the ground as he kissed her soundly on the lips. Emmett and Alice reveled in the perfection of that moment, as he stroked her face, whispering, "I think my heart is going to burst!"

"Mine too," Alice echoed as she kissed him on the tip of his nose.

Bella gripped Edwards's hand a little tighter. "They are lovely together."

"I think we will be like that, too," Edward stated. "I think the world knows when souls belong together. Destiny makes sure they meet, even across the big ocean in this land of Big Ben."

"You are crazy...drunk..." Bella started to say.

"I'm happy. The first time I've ever been really happy." Edward nuzzled his face in her hair. She smelled like sunshine.

This was true what Edward said about happiness. Edwards's father, Carlisle, and Emmett's father, Liam, were business partners that wanted their sons to follow in their footsteps and run the family business. The older men were eagerly trying to get the boys to date the daughters of their wealthy clients in order to help cement business relationships. The boys didn't want those girls or that type of life. They faced the wrath of their fathers when they joined the Army.

Since meeting these perfect girls who were also in a similar situation, made Edward consider other options. Edward could see himself with a veterinary practice as his wife wrote for the local paper. Their children would swing on tire swings hanging from trees and roll in the mud, as their parents sat on the porch smiling. For Emmett, the best friend a man could ever ask for, he could envision him working in the fields as the cornstalks swayed in the breeze. Alice, surrounded by boisterous little boys, painting pictures that will one day grace the walls of Edward and Bella's home. It was a vision of happiness and peace for all of them.

Emmett interrupted Edwards's images of the future. "Are you still sure he'll go for it?"

"I'm definite that he's in." Edward turned to Bella and pulled her close to his chest. "Are you still interested?"

Bella sighed and looked into his beautiful eyes. "Yes."

When he kissed her at that moment it felt like Independence Day.

XXXXXX

It was the last night on the ship and the cabin was feeling a tad bit claustrophobic. Bella looked out into the dark night sky. As she gazed up at the open expanse the twinkling of the stars seemed like small diamonds. She looked at her hands; they were shaking.

The weeks they had spent on the ship accelerated the courtship of the two couples. They took long walks on deck, sipping lemonade and talking of their youthful exploits. The four of them danced to big band music after dining on succulent meals. They enjoyed sweet kisses in dark corridors away from the eyes of their nosy fellow passengers.

Tonight was different though. Rooms had been switched and Alice and Emmett would be sharing same bed this evening. The way their hands roamed during dinner, Bella was certain that they were not going to be chaste roommates. The way she felt about Edward, she doubted they would be either.

She felt his hands on her shoulders, fingering the smooth satin of her robe. Edward whispered close to her ear, "Why so serious, my beautiful girl?"

Turning to him, Bella clutched Edward's pajama top tightly. She buried her head in his chest. "I'm frightened."

"Me too," he replied. Bella's shocked face looked up at him. "It's my first time too, Bella."

"I love you." Her eyes flooded with tears of embarrassment. "Is it too soon to say such things and to feel so much?"

"It's never too soon, because I feel the same." Edward brushed his lips against her softly. "I love you with every beat of my heart."

He scooped her up into his arms, carrying Bella towards the bed. His eyes, wet with unshed tears of happiness, met hers. Placing her upon the bed, Edward slowly removed Bella's robe as he kissed her once again, his hands moving down her silken skin. Bella twisted her hands into his hair, fingering the wild locks into more of a frenzy. Her nipples poked through the lacy top and Edward stroked them lightly. She pushed her body up against him and rubbed against something hard in his pants. Edward groaned at the sensation.

"May I remove this?" Edward questioned, fingering the straps of her nightgown. Bella took a deep breath and he quickly added, "We don't have to go any farther."

"Yes, please Edward," she quietly agreed.

He pulled the nightgown off of Bella's lovely body. His fingers caressed her bare skin. "You are beautiful."

Unbuttoning Edward's shirt and pushing her mouth onto the skin she sucked and licked happily. When she reached the pinstriped bottoms, she paused, but just for a moment. Gathering all her courage, Bella looked down and gasped. "You are beautiful as well, but I...I...I..."

"We'll make it work like millions of couples before us," Edward reassured Bella, as his hands continued down to her wet center. Pushing in gently, Bella found herself rocking against him without thought.

The sensations going through her body made her feel wonderful. Waves of pleasure filled her, as Bella began to tremble in amazed joy. "More, Edward! Fill me with you."

"Darling, I heard that it will be painful for you at first," he explained worriedly.

"I trust you." Bella said, as she looked deep into his eyes and saw the love there.

Slowly entering his love, Edward paused at her intake of air. He was correct it did hurt. Bella only clung tighter to him. She wanted this and more importantly she wanted to illustrate her love for him.

In and out, he went.

Slow at first, then picking up speed.

Kisses placed on lips, nose and neck.

His movements were faster now and stronger.

Groans and whimpers escaped her wet lips.

Mutual exclamations of love and adoration burst forth between them.

"Bella, my love!"

"Edward!"

The lovers clung to each other as the boat reached Seattle . Their damp bodies wrapped up tightly. Edward kissed the top of her head and felt complete.

XXXXXX

The boat pulled into port, at exactly 10 A.M. Charles Swan looked at his wristwatch deep in thought. He rubbed his mustache thoughtfully. "James, I think if the girls aren't too tired from their journey, they should start training tomorrow morning."

"The girls have been doing nothing else in Europe but swimming, Charles! Shouldn't they get a rest?" Alice's father complained. He should have never agreed to go along with Charles' wishes when it came to his daughter.

"The trials are in a month! They had plenty of rest on the boat, James," Charles said sternly. Then he saw his daughter come off the boat holding the hand of a red headed stranger, followed closely by Alice who was clutching the arm of a large man as well. "James, come on!"

Pulling Alice's father behind him, Charles growled, "Isabella Swan explain yourself!"

"Alice, sweetheart, who is this man?" James asked gently.

"Emmett McCarty is the name, Mr. Brandon." With his trademark grin he added, "Or should I call you Dad?"

James Brandon sputtered, as Alice beamed.

Charles grabbed Bella's arm. "We are leaving, young lady!"

"Unhand her, Sir!" Edward demanded, as he wrapped a secure arm around Bella's waist.

"Who do you think you are?" Charlie spat angrily.

Edward smiled and replied, "Her husband."

Charlie let go of his daughter's arm in shock, as Edward kissed her forehead.

And in that moment Bella fully embraced the love and freedom she had been destined to find.

**1940's Slang Terms:**

**fat head- idiot**

**gams- legs**

**dizzy dames- not bright female**

**dough boys- enlisted soldiers**

**doll dizzy- girl crazy**

**in cahoots- conspiring with**

**share croppers- promiscuous women**


End file.
